My immense relief that so many of you have been so accepting of this story and supportive, I will do my best to not let you all down!

|•|

With a screech and cry from the Deathstalker and Nevermore as they closed in on them, Jaune couldn't help but feel the nerves kick in. He briefly recalled the trip with his family, the Ursa's hefty claw reared back and ready to destroy his dear sister, and how his body moved without much thought as to what next. Typically, that's what most of his plans boiled down to. Get moving and figure out the next. It was a good tactic when he was starting out, surviving with all his might.

But then his dad had taught him how to survive as a huntsman. Sure it was tough and he ended the first month with nothing but sore muscles, but overtime he had gained to understand the normally impossible feats hunters could perform. It was with that base knowledge and his quick observations of the synergies between each team that he had grabbed Pyrrha and Blake, as he was introduced to during the quick planning session he had set up, and now stood like a sentinel before the Deathstalker, the other team having taken the aggro from the Nevermore and leading it to the more open air ruin that gave them more access to the flying grimm than their team could do.

He stood before the scorpion grimm, shield raised as he waited for its charge through the treeline, alone and in the open. As the ground shook from the seemingly angered grimm, he steeled his body once more, just as the last few trees fell and the Deathstalker lunged at the blonde warrior with its claws. Raising his shield up to block the attack, his body shook from the force, driving him back as his spikes impaled the grimm. Plunging the shield deeper for a moment, he pulled back off the grimm, pulling the wire for the leftmost spike as he backed away from the stinger as it struck where he had stood just a moment ago.

Adrenaline filled his body and air in his lungs as he aimed carefully, having just a small window to land the second spike. He aimed at the unimpaled claw of the creature, time slowing down as this shot determined the make or break moment of his plan. He saw the chain miss, the shot just a tad too low to hook properly. His face started to fall, until a black aura surrounded the chain, guiding it to the target as the second spike impaled the other claw. Moving fast, Jaune activated two more buttons on his shield. Locking the chains in place, he drove his shield down into the ground, as he held the grimm in place, his muscles locking and very quickly screaming at him to release the hold as he prevented the grimm from turning.

"Now!" He managed to shout out as a black ribbon coiled around the stinger tail of the scorpion, splaying it plainly as Blake pulled the ribbon through a clone she had made from some earth dust he had given her. To the side of him, he saw Pyrrha and Yang run in, Pyrrha turning and holding her shield up as Yang jumped atop it, using it as a springboard to gain height along with her gauntlets. As she reached her apex, Pyrrha transformed her sword into its spear form, passing it along to Yang as fire burned through her hair, eyes changing to scarlet. With a yell and a burst of speed downward, Yang crashed down into the grimm, driving the spear through with an explosion of energy and anger. The grimm screamed out a final cry as the rest of its body soon fell limp, the evaporation of its large body slowly taking place as Jaune fell back onto the ground, panting hard.

After a few moments, the four looked at each other, smiling large as the girls soon began to cheer. Jaune, taking this as a sign well done, proceeded to let the rest of his body fall back, staring into the sky as he breathed heavily.

"Jaune, are you okay!" Pyrrha approached him, the other two following behind. From his perspective, he smiled to himself as he contentedly sighed. Sure he was the one who would take the most damage from the Deathstalker, but at least the others were able to clean up after he had locked it down.

"Yeah just… catching my breath." He replied between the huffs of air he was gorging down.

"Damn, loverboy, where were you even hiding all the meat to hold the grimm down like that anyways?" Yang smirked as she offered her hand, which he gladly took. Helping him stand back up, he looked over to where the others were, seeing the Nevermore pushed into a cliffside thanks to Nora and Ren, Ruby coming in immediately after and decapitating the large avian as its body fell into the chasm underneath. Their excited cheers echoed around them as the four on the land smiled, finally having the test come to an end as they all met back up, wasting little time in returning back to Beacon with their relics.

As they made their way back, Jaune could only thank his father for all his work as the smiling visage of Ozpin greeted the hunters.

|•|

"... led by Cardin Winchester." A round of applause sounded from the stage, the team of four hopping off the stage with some fistbumps and laughs between them. Ruby felt her nerves rise at the crowd. Not just the first year students, but each student available in the school was in attendance for the team naming ceremony. It was baffling, seeing all the different teams and people here just to celebrate the new intake the school received. Summoning her strength as she heard the next four students were called up.

"Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao-Long, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna." Ozpin began, "You four have retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, your team will be known as Juneberry, led by Jaune Arc." Another round of applause as the initials on the screen from each member pulled down to JNBY.

Ruby cheered for her sister, of course, since she was the best little sister. She felt a bit let down, however, since both her picks for partner ended up partnering together and on a completely different team from her. She cheered again, ignoring the small thoughts that seemed to be creeping onto her as Juneberry made their way off the stage. Walking up with her team, Ruby stood off to the side of the stage as Ozpin called them up next.

"And finally, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. You four retrieved the white rook pieces, as well as took down a Giant Nevermore that had made the emerald forest its nest for quite a while. As such, you four will from this day forward be known as team Rosin, led by Ruby Rose." A round of applause once more, however most sound faded from her ears as she began to process what he had announced.

She would be team leader? She was meant to stay inconspicuous and not attract attention while also being the best huntress in Beacon! How was she meant to not attract attention if she was not only accepted early but also a team leader!

A strong slap on her back brought her back to reality, seeing Nora smile so brightly at her and even Ren nodding his head to the decision. She smiled back at the two, feeling a bit of warmth at their acceptance.

If only the cold chill from her side would also warm up.

|•|

"Oh look at my baby sis! I knew you had it in you!" Yang teased the younger sibling, rubbing her hair as the eight of them stayed back on Jaune's insistence. He had seen just how excited and happy Yang had gotten when they heard that Ruby would be leader, and he decided to let the older sister get it out of her system now.

Ozpin had chosen him and Ruby as the leaders of their respective teams, and while he wasn't too surprised at his selection, Ruby's gave him pause. While there was nothing too significant other than her age, the addition of her team having taken down the Giant Nevermore made it seem insistent to others that this decision was correct. While he wouldn't question someone like the Headmaster of Beacon over his decisions, it felt a little too weird when his team had certainly handled an arguably stronger threat. His thoughts soon dragged him back to his training with his father in their backyard, having taken plenty of strikes as he had laid back in the grass recovering.

His father had been going back over a few refreshers for what to expect, when he had mentioned going to the teachers for any assistance with their classes, how he would need to expect tribulations there but he would need to overcome the obstacles, and most importantly, how if Ozpin offered him a job, he should think it over carefully before he chooses to accept it. This stunned Jaune for a second, asking his father at the time why the headmaster of Beacon would give a job specifically for him, to which his father's response echoed with him still.

"Ozpin has managed Beacon even while I was there, and in that whole time, there was never a moment where he made a decision without having thought it out."

It didn't sound something wrong for someone who was meant to be a figure of importance and wisdom, being the headmaster of a school training future Hunters. But the worry that his dad held made him think twice about it. If everything he did was examined, then him accepting a girl two years younger and then making her the leader of a team meant that she had importance to him in some way. Even in his own case, having only three years of formal training and beyond that no relevant studies in huntsman lifestyle, he was accepted as a favor for his father, but how far did that favor go? Was he expected to balance the favor out? Did his dad cash in a favor to get him in? It was something that he needed to ask him about when they got the chance.

Jaune shook his head, shaking out the train of thoughts he was falling into. Instead of questioning those that are responsible for furthering and preparing him for the future, he should be proud, celebrating with his new team in front of him. He looked to Blake and Pyrrha, both quietly standing off to the side with smiles on their faces as they also watched Yang's antics with her younger sister. The group seemed to laugh at the expense of the small girl for a second before the eight of them agreed to locate their respective team rooms. Their walk was filled with more laughter and jokes between them, all still on a high from the last few hours. Jaune could see that their energies were quickly dying down though, if their yawns and stretches were any indication. Thankfully, they arrived before their respective rooms, straight across the hall from each other, which somehow managed to make the wide grin on Ruby's face even wider. With farewells tossed to each group, JNBY opened their door to their new home for their time at Beacon.

The room itself felt like a small living room, just a tad bit smaller than the Arc's living room back in Ansel, Jaune thought as he scanned the room. Four beds that were separated into twos, with a long bookshelf to divide the two. Off to the corner were desks, also separated by two, with which to do their homework most likely. Against another wall to their right was another door, which Yang soon opened to reveal a bathroom that she immediately jumped into, shouting back at the others a clear "Dibs!" that left the rest of them dumbfounded.

Seeing no other choice but to wait, Jaune laid against the bed closest to the dorm's front door and furthest away from the bathroom door, sighing in relief as he closed his eyes, reveling in the comfy feeling of the mattress. He looked over at the two girls as he noticed their looks about the room themselves, Pyrrha's face blatantly showing a cool excitement while Blake was taken aback from the size of the room. Jaune smiled as he closed his eyes once more until he heard the door to the bathroom open up. Taking that as his queue, he sat up, stopping Blake as she was to be next into the shower after calling her spot next.

"Since I'm already outnumbered here, I want to hear your ideas on how we should handle the room itself." He started, as the girls looked between themselves

Pyrrha looked to Yang, who then looked to Blake, some unheard conversation occurring between the three before they nodded, turning back to him. "As long as you aren't being weird and respect our privacies, I don't think there's anything wrong with the setup, right girls?" Yang spoke first as Blake and Pyrrha nodded.

Jaune nodded as he pulled his scroll out, glancing at the time. Just an hour before supper, which meant he could give his family a call while the girls finished up their showers. "There shouldn't be a problem with that, I grew up with sisters. I'll knock before coming in whenever and let you girls have the room in the morning after I get back from training." He stood from his bed, shaking the scroll in his hand gently as he made for the door. "Speaking of family, I'm gonna go give them an update before it gets too late, feel free to get comfy, I'll be back later!"

With a quick farewell, the blond knight made his way down the halls, the echoes of newfound teams quietly bouncing off the still halls of Beacon as he made his way outside to the courtyards. Finding a suitable spot for himself, he flipped open his scroll, dialing in his contact as the call was picked up fairly quickly. With bated breath, he spoke to the quiet voice on the other line.

"Hey Mom." he could hear her breathe a sigh of relief on hearing his voice, "Sorry for the late call, we only just got everything situated after initiation."

"Oh, honey! I'm just so happy to hear you made it okay! You hadn't even texted us when you had arrived in Beacon like you had said you would." She rambled, yet he could hear the love his mother had always showered him in. A tug pained his heart, missing the warmth of his home slightly as he looked towards the evening sky.

"Sorry about that. Things haven't really stopped since I got into Vale. How are the girls?"

"Waiting for you to tell us all how it went!" The impatient voice of Jade cut through the call. The flood of voices all asking him many questions already that just made Jaune laugh.

"Well, how about I start with the interesting friend I made when I got here."

|•|

Blake had been used to long stretches of expeditions to Schnee facilities in the wild, countless grimm being met and dispatched, and several grueling fights against mechanized security that, for all intents and purposes, were more soldiers than security. Suffice to say, she was hardened and mature, never once doubting her skills in the real world.

As she laid back in the shower tub, the small hints of honey in the bubble bath she had borrowed from Pyrrha after her own shower made all that work seemingly disappear as she finally registered that she could afford to relax for a little while.

Even now, though, her mind was still processing the decision to run she had made as well as her meeting with the headmaster himself when she had applied to the school.

She hadn't known what to expect from it, and while he did seem to be very kind and more than a little understanding to her situation, she couldn't help the fear she had felt when he had asked her if she had other intentions attending his school.

The smile he wore never reached his cold piercing eyes as she gave her answer. It was probably one of the few times that she would ever admit that a human had actually instilled some fear into her.

Not too long after that, she had gone through the rough of it with her new partner, Pyrrha Nikos. She had heard a few things about her from some of the recruits who had interest in 'humans beating the shit out of each other', and knew she had skills that had earned her a sort of celebrity symbol to the common people. When she had first encountered her, she thought it would turn out to be something akin to many other high ranking individuals in Atlas, and would probably look down on someone beneath them. What she did encounter was a wonderfully pleasant and even supportive girl.

They had spent a few minutes talking and walking, the two finding a cave that seemed to also lead to the ruins based on the path it would take, and the air flowing through that both girls took as a sign of an exit on the other side.

When they found the Deathstalker, they had only done the most sensible thing in a confined space.

So they ran, hoping to find some vantage that they could take to escape the ever closer grimm from catching them. Then, she had met her teammates, Jaune and Yang. As far as skills go, she could tell they were decent fighters, both taking on and repelling the Deathstalker to allow her and Pyrrha to regroup.

Between the two blondes, Blake found that Yang was probably the stronger of the two, if her impact against the deathstalker showed as much, with Jaune pretty close behind her. All in all, the team itself looked to be one of the betters in their year, which she was glad to be a part of.

Grabbing a handful of water and letting it cascade down her face, her thoughts soon rounded back to the White Fang, or more specifically, to Adam. She shook her head slightly, refusing to worry over a matter that wasn't her concern any longer. She had left, she made the right choice in leaving.

She just wondered if maybe there was something more she could have done as well. She had tried to talk with Adam about her hesitation with some of their missions, but he had stubbornly refused to accept that other paths could lead to the same result. This usually led to some of their smaller arguments that ended with Adam telling her that this was a necessary task and she should return to their tent and rest, since her training was starting to stress her out.

She immediately dunked her head into the bath, desperately trying to shake her thoughts out of her head. Surfacing and taking a deep sigh, she chose to not follow her anger down her memories and instead thought of Kuo Kuana, and her parents. She hadn't seen them since she had left with Adam, and now that she had abandoned the Fang, she didn't know how to approach it either, or even talk to them in the first place. She had ignored their warnings about the man, spat on their legacy as founders of the White Fang, and ran away from home. If they had the chance to hear from her, she dreaded how they would speak to her.

Blake slid further down into the tub, her nose and eyes above the water as her blake hair gently flowed and ebbed with the movements of the water. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back just enough for the sound of everything to muffle slightly, the water dulling all sound as she thought. Opening her eyes, she had ultimately decided that she would cross that bridge when it came to it, but for now would focus on being a huntress and doing well in Beacon. Maybe when she graduated she could visit her family to inform them of her decision.

Blake smiled serenely, perhaps for the first time in a long while.

|•|

Jaune made his way back to his team's dorm, having already wished his family goodnight and updating them all on his progress. When he had asked about his dad, his mom explained that he had taken a mission he was currently out on, but expressed his confidence in his son that there wouldn't be a reason for him to fail, which he appreciated greatly. After that he had talked about his team a bit, much to his embarrassment since the girls took full advantage of reminding him that he had three attractive females sharing a room with him. His mother had even instructed him to 'be on your best behavior'.

Clearing his throat as he felt the heat creep up his neck once more, he turned down the last corner of the hall, heading to his room, subsequently ignoring the haphazard construction noise from their sister team across the hall. Knocking first, Jaune walked in to see most of the girls' stuff set up already, two of the three having already gone to bed with Blake looking to still be drying her hair before sleeping. Either that or she normally stayed up late reading. Dropping his scroll onto the bed before crashing into his bed, Jaune gave a muffled groan as he finally let himself relax.

"Same." was all he heard before his exhaustion finally let him drift off to sleep.

|•|

Okie dokie, so teams are set, characters are slightly developed, and lines have been set. Let me know how you guys thought of this chapter, maybe the pacing is weird or you didn't like the focus on something, and I'll take it into account as I make the next one.

As always, continue being the light that guides!